News Brief

3/2/2008, Adar 25, 5768

UN Head Condemns Israel

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon condemned Israel in an emergency session of the Security Council on Saturday night. “While recognizing Israel's right to defend itself, I condemn the disproportionate and excessive use of force that has killed and injured so many civilians, including children," he said. Hamas claims that dozens of civilians were killed in IDF operations in Gaza on Saturday, while IDF officials argue that most of those killed were armed Hamas terrorists.

The council met to discuss a resolution proposed by Libya. The proposed resolution calls for “an immediate cessation of all acts of violence,” including IDF counter-terrorism operations, and calls for Israel to immediately open all of its crossings with Gaza. The crossings have been closed for months in response to ongoing rocket attacks on Israeli towns, which have been backed by the de facto Hamas government.